Apple iPad helps keep TMS on the air

While many people may use ink supplies to print out photos they have snapped, edited and shared on their iPads, the gadget was put to a more unusual use this week by sports broadcasters with the BBC.

The presenters of Test Match Special (TMS) resorted to using a tablet loaded with a Skype application after a technical fault knocked out their communications during the England cricket team's match against Pakistan in Dubai.

While in the past, such an outage would have taken the commentary off-air, the team, led by tech-savvy Jonathan Agnew, had the idea to use the iPad's microphone and a Skype connection to keep listeners informed.

The novel way of broadcasting was a new experience for the group, with Geoff Boycott asking "What do I do with it?" when he was handed the tablet.

However, while the use of the mobile technology may have kept TMS on the air, many listeners may not have enjoyed what they heard as England slumped to a ten-wicket defeat inside three days of the opening test.